TumblingTurquoise's recent activity
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Comment on That book you remember some details but can't recall the title in ~books
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Comment on That book you remember some details but can't recall the title in ~books
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentThe Dark Pond?There’s a book I read in middle school that I haven’t been able to find any details on. It’s about a teen boy of (iirc) Native American descent. He tracks and hunts some sort of giant white centipede monster in the forest near his house with a bow and arrow. There’s a scene where he discovers bloody tracks where the monster had killed a deer and dragged it into a hole in the ground.
The Dark Pond?
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Comment on Ahead of an all-digital future for PlayStation, Sony needs to prove in courts that players know they don't own digitally purchased games in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentHuh, TIL. So, does Sony’s PSN refund policies fully comply with Australian law?Huh, TIL. So, does Sony’s PSN refund policies fully comply with Australian law?
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Comment on Ahead of an all-digital future for PlayStation, Sony needs to prove in courts that players know they don't own digitally purchased games in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentI don’t think it’s a fair comparison, for multiple reasons. First of all, Steam provides an enormous amount of value - refunds, sales, features. Sony can’t even hold a candle to it. It is also not...I don’t think it’s a fair comparison, for multiple reasons. First of all, Steam provides an enormous amount of value - refunds, sales, features. Sony can’t even hold a candle to it.
It is also not a monopoly - on a PC, you are free to install from anyone & anywhere. People just choose Steam over its competitors. On a fully digital Playstation, it’s the PS Store - or bust.
Steam is a market leader for sure, but only because its competition is more or less utterly inept. They’ve also never done anything to enforce unfair practices, quite the opposite: investing in FOSS support (gaming on Linux), generous, no questions asked refund windows. And treating their customers right. On a PlayStation, as soon as you hit “Download” you are unable to refund the game anymore, and that’s only because they’re being mandated by EU law.
Steam has cornered the market because they provide value to their customers. Sony is vying for a monopoly by locking down their hardware & extracting maximum profits from its users. As the meme says: they are not the same.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentI can appreciate this perspective, and I do agree with it conceptually. But I don’t think that imitating real life makes for compelling cinema. I know a lot of people enjoy seeing movies & shows...I think a lot of shows would show a character as "reformed" in a way that doesn't reflect real life.
I can appreciate this perspective, and I do agree with it conceptually. But I don’t think that imitating real life makes for compelling cinema. I know a lot of people enjoy seeing movies & shows that mirror reality, but it’s not my cup of tea.
I really wish I could enjoy the show though!
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentI get your point about Walt, but I think there is a big difference - in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, the protagonists start off as one character, and end up completely transformed...I get your point about Walt, but I think there is a big difference - in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, the protagonists start off as one character, and end up completely transformed towards the end of the series. Walt does not start as a ruthless, criminal mastermind - but as a down-on-his-luck teacher with cancer. His transformation is gradual, and there’s quite a few people who keep rooting for him until it’s too late. Hell, when I first watched the series as it was being aired, I kept rooting for him all throughout. It wasn’t until I rewatched the series, that I paid closer attention to the seeds of his “evil” that get sown from the first episodes.
In hindsight, I think it’s easy to say that Carol is a better person than Walt. Because she is. I just don’t find her a compelling, interesting & complex character. She starts off as a grumpy, irritable person, and keeps being this person for a number of episodes. On the other hand, Walt & Jimmy both change drastically, and have much more depth to them. I understood Carol’s entire way of being from the first couple of episodes, which means there’s nothing left to discover. There’s no more depth there. To rephrase it: I watched Breaking Bad nine times in total, and each time noticed something new about all the characters. Pluribus did not give me either the feeling that there’s something deeper under the surface, nor the inclination to continue with the story, let alone rewatch it.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentMy partner & I really tried to enjoy it, but we dropped off after a couple of episodes. There was just nothing positive / likeable about Carol, to justify rooting for her. We found ourselves...My partner & I really tried to enjoy it, but we dropped off after a couple of episodes. There was just nothing positive / likeable about Carol, to justify rooting for her. We found ourselves rooting for the “antagonists” more than her.
It’s a shame, because we’re big fans of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and Rhea herself, so of course we were hyped about Pluribus.
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Comment on US condemns 'unnecessary escalation' after Israeli airstrikes on Syrian airbase in ~society
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentOr the thing that breaks NATO. Do you see the US respecting article 5 if invoked because of Israel’s actions?If Israel does indeed strike NATO allies it'll be a geopolitical suicide by cop moment.
Or the thing that breaks NATO. Do you see the US respecting article 5 if invoked because of Israel’s actions?
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Comment on What game are you terrible at? in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentExcept multiple difficulties require more man-hours of effort to implement, test, tune and balance. Not speaking about changes to the overall game design, to preserve the player experience that...The game would be 100% identical for people who play on the high setting. Like, 1 to 1 identical.
Except multiple difficulties require more man-hours of effort to implement, test, tune and balance. Not speaking about changes to the overall game design, to preserve the player experience that the developers are going for.
And those man-hours have to come from somewhere, hence the watering down of the experience.
P.S.: I deeply dislike anything FromSoftware released; part of it is the difficulty, part is the opaqueness. So I don’t play any of their games.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentTo be fair, there isn’t much driving in the game. I think there are four setpieces in total which involve driving something with wheels, and only two of them need you to drive decently.I've heard complaints about the driving, but I picked it up pretty decently
To be fair, there isn’t much driving in the game. I think there are four setpieces in total which involve driving something with wheels, and only two of them need you to drive decently.
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Comment on The Odyssey - discussion thread in ~movies
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentInteresting, thanks for clarifying. Of course I wasn’t referring to the actual historical reasons for the Bronze Age collapse, but to the society as depicted in Nolan’s movie.Interesting, thanks for clarifying.
Also, Mycenae did not fall to the "destruction of social fabric", from archeological evidence it's believed that a long drought combined with an earthquake was the cause.
Of course I wasn’t referring to the actual historical reasons for the Bronze Age collapse, but to the society as depicted in Nolan’s movie.
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Comment on The Odyssey - discussion thread in ~movies
TumblingTurquoise LinkI loved seeing The Odyssey. A bit of context for my comment: I’m not a big Greek mythology buff. This means that I knew about all of the ideas, characters & events presented in the movie, but not...I loved seeing The Odyssey. A bit of context for my comment: I’m not a big Greek mythology buff. This means that I knew about all of the ideas, characters & events presented in the movie, but not from primary sources. And I never spent time thinking & analysing them.
That being said, there is a great idea that I’m not sure if Nolan recontextualised or it was present in the source material: how big of an offence & destruction of customs and norms the Trojan horse was. This resonates very hard with the destruction of customs & norms we observe in Western society nowadays.
In the context of the world Nolan depicted, where Gods are the ultimate thing to worship & respect, abusing these norms for material gains is possibly the highest offence someone can bring to society at large, and obviously factors into the destruction of the social fabric & eventually downfall of their civilisation.
Since we find out Odysseus’ perspective about this at the very end of the movie, it does help explain the instances of mild “atheism” that he displays during the obstacles he & his men face post-Troy.
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Comment on Avatar: Seven Havens | Official teaser in ~tv
TumblingTurquoise (edited )Link ParentI was a bit disappointed back then, and really hoped that the rumours were wrong. I really enjoyed the world building they did in Korra, and thought there’s great potential in carrying the story...I was a bit disappointed back then, and really hoped that the rumours were wrong. I really enjoyed the world building they did in Korra, and thought there’s great potential in carrying the story into a more “modern” time, past the Industrial Revolution and into the information age. Just erasing the entire world and resetting it to a more primitive state, for lack of a better word, feels really lazy. I hope I’m wrong about this, but I’m not entirely confident they’ll do something interesting with the universe in this new series. They already seem to be retreading some of the ground Korra already did, in the episodes detailing the Avatar’s origins.
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Comment on China's oil imports have decreased by 40% since the Iran war in ~society
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentHere’s a video that went into this topic recently. In short, China may have amassed very large quantities of oil in their stockpiles.Here’s a video that went into this topic recently. In short, China may have amassed very large quantities of oil in their stockpiles.
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Comment on Apple sues OpenAI for stealing trade secrets to build AI hardware in ~tech
TumblingTurquoise (edited )Link ParentThey’re not doing great. Their financials leaked a couple of weeks ago, and several things stood out: the rate at which they’re burning money, the lagging revenue, and the accounting trickery they...They’re not doing great. Their financials leaked a couple of weeks ago, and several things stood out: the rate at which they’re burning money, the lagging revenue, and the accounting trickery they use. The big one: lumping the subsidies and deals they give to consumers into the advertising spending category, since it’s a better looking cost for investors. They’re lumping so much spend in there, that they’re supposedly spending more on advertising than Coca Cola.
Another thing that happened just the past days & is a sign of them not doing great, is Oracle’s credit rating being downgraded to a step above Junk. I am not sure if you know how critical Oracle & OpenAIs relationship is, to both of these companies’ success.
Edit: and I forgot to add that after their financials leaked, it’s rumoured that OpenAI pushed their IPO into the next year. Which is IMO, not a sign of confidence in their business & ability to raise money, once their financials can officially get scrutinised by everyone.
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Comment on Microsoft’s Xbox to cut 3,200 jobs, divest five studios in major overhaul in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentAt the end of the day, it all depends on the company’s culture. I am also a part of a hierarchy of 8 layers at my work; however, when it comes to my direct responsibilities, my word is usually...At the end of the day, it all depends on the company’s culture. I am also a part of a hierarchy of 8 layers at my work; however, when it comes to my direct responsibilities, my word is usually final.
There’s a very limited set of circumstances when I need to seek my manager’s approval, even more higher up the chain.
Funnily enough, the only time I had to go up multiple layers for an approval was when I wanted an extra computer monitor at my desk.
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Comment on Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentI don’t have much to add, except that I cancelled my PS Plus subscription in response to this. I hope enough people that are bothered by this also did the same.I don’t have much to add, except that I cancelled my PS Plus subscription in response to this. I hope enough people that are bothered by this also did the same.
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Comment on What are the new EU border checks and how will they affect your summer holiday? in ~travel
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentAirport security is security theatre, and a source of income for some businesses. Nothing more, nothing less. Have a look at this list & see that it doesn’t really do anything. But when it comes...Airport security is security theatre, and a source of income for some businesses. Nothing more, nothing less. Have a look at this list & see that it doesn’t really do anything.
But when it comes to this entry & exit system, it has less to do with hijackings & more with tracking immigrants who may not leave the EU once entered.
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Comment on Google must pay record €4.1 billion fine, top EU court rules in ~tech
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentFines are one component of the EU’s revenue. It is spent on agriculture & development for EU member states; which means funding, grants and subsidies for infrastructure, energy, culture, etc.;...Fines are one component of the EU’s revenue. It is spent on agriculture & development for EU member states; which means funding, grants and subsidies for infrastructure, energy, culture, etc.; there’s a really wide range of projects funded by EU grants.
According to the Wiki page, 94% is invested into EU member states. Which is a fact I was not aware of before!
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: June 2026 in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentTorchlight 2 is another good one, but I haven’t played it as much as Titan Quest & Grim Dawn, so I’m not sure if it’s as deep as the latter two. Surprisingly, I have also enjoyed Diablo IV, even...Torchlight 2 is another good one, but I haven’t played it as much as Titan Quest & Grim Dawn, so I’m not sure if it’s as deep as the latter two.
Surprisingly, I have also enjoyed Diablo IV, even though the late game is really oriented towards grinding for materials, and less towards grinding for items. I’m not a big fan of this approach, so I usually don’t stick to the game for long. I drop in once in a while, level a class to the max, then drop off until some interesting new content is added. But you can’t go wrong with Diablo II, which has recently been remade.
A less known one is The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, but I can only vouch for the first one. It’s worth a playthrough, if you buy it on a discount.
Hellgate: London is another one I thoroughly enjoyed back in its time, though it is a bit rough around the edges.
While not an isometric ARPG, I think that the Borderlands series qualifies for the genre. It’s more loot based than other games (in a good way - there’s some wacky weapons to be found in these games). Out of them all, I probably enjoyed 1 & 2 the most. But 1 is a bit dated by this point, so you should probably stick with 2.
V Rising also scratches the isometric spell-based combat itch, but not so much the grinding for loot one. I can describe it as Valheim with a Diablo-lite coat of paint. It is a game you play through once then you’re done with it - no endgame grinding or activities. It also has enjoyable building mechanics.
And I think that’s about it when it comes to ARPG recommendations I can make. There’s some good free-to-play ARPGs that I could mention, but I don’t like this monetisation model so I can’t recommend them. I prefer paying for my game & having all gameplay mechanics unlocked.
I hope you won’t hate me for this, but I asked ChatGPT to find it. I was curious if it is able to find an answer with so little information provided.